Vehicle



F. G. BENNETT VEHICLE Filed Dec- 15, 1924 2 Sneets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR, 72v 721* fiear ye Be 7272s it;

' A ORNEY Patented Oct. 19, 1926.

narr- S E actate Mrenr clerics,

VEHICLE.

Application filed December 15, 1924. Serial No. 755,963.

The invention relates 'to supportingapparatus for vehiclesand has for itsbroad ob ect to eliminate round traction Wheels and also avoid the use otcu-inbersoine, poWer consuming, so called endless track platforms of the type which includes a series ofbroad,- hingedly connected tread plates carried-'bvat driving belt inan -orbit in a vertical plane and in which each heavy tread plate is completely inverted in an epieycloidal traverse;

An object of tlreinvention is-to provide for a material reduction in Weight and in powerconsumption over the vertical-orbit platform-(device, and to provide for the operation of feet-means in a nearly horizon tal orb'it and to brin'g' a'series 0t" thefeet down to: ground engaging position While others areraised and carried backward or forward to new eileotive positions on the ground; all without necessitating" an inversion otany part 1 ot' the foot means. Another object is to provide annultifoot, endless: carrier disposed inwa generally horizontal plane and to provide means for glidinn-1y transinitting the load otthe vehicle to :rplu:1alitv of" its ieet While other feet are in a raised; ineffiective positionand are being carried forward or rearward in a horizontal Ipath' and outi of ground contact.

A' further object isto provide for a suiiicien-tninrnber of ground engagingz teet at any "instant to cause the vehicle to glide along" smoothly irrespective of l the" fact that one ofit-he feetanay have been brought down oven at low SDOl'MlD the roadway.

Another ob ect is to provide for the material lowering of: the center of o ravitv of the vehicle, and to. provide allow-down truck bed in such class of vehicles.

Eigure lf is a side elevation of a truck incorporating the driving apparatus.

Figure 2 is EI bOtiZOID plan.

Figure 3is a cross section 01"? a portion ofrth'e truck bed and a lowered, eiiective toot.

Figure 4- is a detail of? a horizontal, belt driving i Wheel and its "gearing.

Fig'nre 5iis'a1cross-section ohthe toot elevating" track;

Figirirev 6 is-: plan" of the foot elevating channel-trackai EigureFTis sucrose-section andend view of: onechannel track. i

Figure 8 is awliagram ota turning position of feet;

A truck is.shownas:having flalOOtiiOlD l and frame ineinbers fithereunder; Along each side of the bottom 1 thereas secured JCOAJITI'ZUDB 3 a stout inetal=strip or plate lli having plane elongated, runway iaccs Whose ends are shown iii'Fig. las sloping up to- Ward the bottom 11. These strips :fornr soles against which bearrollers 5 mounted on axles em boxes 4; here called feet; since? their tnnctionwis to engage and stand:upon a roadwayvsuriace \vhiletlie bodv of the vehicle is-n'ioving" forwarder rearward as the case: lnavi be. Thebottoin of tlieiieet members 4 are provided with removable rubberor metal treads 19.

Means ureuproi 'idedrtor raising'thefeet lsuccessiveljv as they are approached by the ends oi? tlie'lixed soles 1i. and i or causing the toot to swine around-in an elongated,- horiaontah orbit having straight runway stretches and then be depressed-toa supporting; )OSiillOll' between the soles llandthe road-st face;

lllei. is are also provided-for curving. the linesotiamflication of the iieet talting a supporting positiouiso as toguide the vehicle in a turningcnrotion. 7

At the ends oi? the liked soles 'll there COITLJ iuen'ce seinicircular; inverted channel g'irides 22 having); entrance ends sloping upwardly as in Fig. 1, to conform to the up slope ot the: ends-0t the soles 11. 'lheend turns of onthe channel trazeltsQQwlieup against the bottonil and are therefore higher than the bottom plane'o't'the soles 11. llhoinner ends oi" coordinate: chai'inel tiirns'are connected by straight runway portions 22?.

At 621F711 side of tlie top oi: eachffoot'dis a liftuor cazn'i wheelG arranged to run onto and along); the i uturned canrforniin flanges oil? the channel trachs'zil.

There: is one UTE the cam or channel tracl'cs 2:2? 22 at eaclrsideoii:the botton'i lv and in thebencs of the tracks are centered front idler and rear drive Wheels 10 the latter haw belts travel in their orbits those feet 4 which leave the outside turn of the channel tracks 22 pass down underthe slope of the elongated, plane solesll and these run onto the tops of'the rollers 5 as the tread 19 of the feet bear down upon the roadway.

As above stated, the outer turns ofthe channel tracks 22 terminate at about the ends of the soles 11, which are about radially opposite to the shafts 21. The solesare widened for a purpose now to be explained.

The outer stretches of the belt loops are designed to be flexed laterally in or out so as to effect the placing down of the outer feet 4 in a curved line under the vehicle. This is to enable steering in curved paths. The soles arewide enough to engage the load rollers 5 in their lateral change of position.

Means to flex the foot carriers as desired, laterally and concurrently, one inward and one outward, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8, here comprises a pair of spaced, spring, side canrforining tracks 7 (Fig. 3) attached suitably to the ends of respective channel tracks 22. Midway their lengths, the tracks 7 are secured to braces 18 which are fixed on a cross bar 12 which is moved endwise by a bell-crank 1% connected to an feet 4 in supporting position with each sole 11 at all times so that if one is over a road depression another on the same side is taking the load. This will cause the vehicle to glide easily and smoothly along on a stationary set of feet whose rollers 5 are engaging the soles 11. The invention claimed is: V 1. A wheel-less vehicle having driving belts lying in a generally common plane and forming straight outer side stretches, means for driving the belts in their orbits, elongated, sole plates along the outer side stretches of the belts. foot means for carrying the whole load of the vehicle, attached to said belts'to be carried thereby in an elongated orbit and into load taking position beneath said sole plates, and orbit tracks for carrying the foot means in an elevated, ineffective position and for lowering them to and raising them from effective position under the sole plates.

2. A wheel-less vehicle having aset of elongated, straight runway tracks, elongated orbintal guide. tracks leading downward and upward at respective ends of the runway track, endless, driven belts coordinate to hers.

said tracks and having, each, a plurality of foot members movable into position'vertically below the runway tracks to take the whole load of the vehicle; said runway tracks gliding along the depressed foot me1n- A vehicle having means providing elongated, plane gliding surfaces, foot-forming means movable in horizontal orbits and onto which said elongated surfaces pass after the footmeans come to rest upon the roadway, andmeans for effecting a relative curvature of position of the foot means as they come into supporting effect so as to turn the vehicle.

4. A belt driven vehicle including a generally horizontal, driven belt carryinga' series of upright foot devices to take the whole load of the vehicle, a load imposing, straight, runway track, and an orbital guide and lift track leading up at the ends of the runway track; said foot devices having, each at its top, rollers cooperative with said; runway track and said lift track, whereby to take the load'for a period and then belifted by the lift tracks to an ineffective position}.

A vehicle having a set of straight, side runway tracks and orbital lift tracks having par-ts bending downward to the ends of the respective runway tracks, and means for carrying the whole load ofthe vehicle and including sets of foot devices connected by driving belts so asto be positioned vertically under the runways; said devices including members having load receiving rollers to run on the runway tracks and lifting rollers to followthe orbital, lift tracks to elevate said devices. I

6. Apparatus for supporting and propelling a vehicle, including endless sets of foot members, said members sweeping in generally horizontal orbits having elongated, straight stretches, means for successively raising and lowering the members at-the ends of said stretches during traverse of their orbits, and means for varying the point of application of the foot members to the roadway, whereby to effecta turning of the vehicle. v e

7. Propelling means for a vehicle, comprising, in combination, endless carriers, means for driving therarriers, a. series of foot members attached to each carrier so as to be operated thereby in generally horizontal orbits, straight, elongated gliding parts to ride onto and from'the foot members when they are in road engaging position, and means for rasing and lowering the foot members progressively at. the'ends of said parts while traversing their orbits.

8. Pro'pelling means fora vehicle, comprising, in combination, rotary carriers, means for driving the carriers, a series of foot members operatively connected to the carriers to be orbitally driven thereby in generally horizontal circuits, means for raising and lowering the foot members from and to road engaging position, fixed, straight stretch means on the vehicle to glide onto and from the foot members While they are in road engaging position, and means for effecting the application of the foot members to the roadway in curved lines, whereby to turn the vehicle. i

9. Propelling means for a Wheel-less vehicle, comprising, in combination, horizontal endless belts, a series of foot members at tached to each belt to carry the Whole load and be shifted by its belt in a generally horizontal-plane circuit including a straightway carrying stretch, means for carrying the foot members in an elevated, ineffective position to and from the carrying stretch and raising them at the ends thereof, and load imposing sole means at the said carrying stretch to bear upon the lowered members While these are in load carrying position.

FRANK GEORGE BENNETT. 

